Name: Anarsa (Maharashtrian deep fried, sweet snack) recipe by Madhuli Ajay at BetterButter
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 cups rice (use old rice); 1 ¼ cup jaggery finely grated (quantity may change as per taste); Ghee (preferably made from Cow’s milk) for deep frying; 2 tbsp poppy seeds; 1 tbsp milk

ABOUT Anarsa (Maharashtrian deep fried, sweet snack) RECIPE

Anarsa is a traditional Maharashtrian deep fried sweet usually made during Diwali. As kids, every Diwali we would eagerly wait for my Grandmother to make them. The ingredients for this indulgent delicacy are quite simple; Rice and jaggery. The end result though depends on 3 Ps- Preparation, Patience and Practice. I learnt to make them from my Grandmother. Even though they are readily available here, I love making them at home just to reconnect with my treasured childhood memories of my Grandmother.

Instructions

Wash and soak rice in water for 3 days. Change the water daily.
Drain the rice and spread it on a kitchen towel/cloth and let it dry completely.
Grind this to a fine powder and sieve it through a fine mesh (the one you use for sieving Maida).
Add the grated jaggery and mix well. Use a pestle to pound this mixture, if you find it too hard to mix. It will soften as it gets mixed.
Keep it covered for 5-6 days. Knead this mixture into a pliable dough. Sprinkle a little milk if required.
Heat the ghee in a wok.
Take a plastic sheet and sprinkle some poppy seeds on it.
Make small lime sized ball from the dough and press it lightly on the poppy seeds. Flatten the dough into a round. Apply some ghee to your hand if the dough sticks.
Fry the Anarsa on medium flame with the poppy seeds side up. Gently keep on splashing ghee over the upper side of the Anarsa with the spoon without disturbing it too much.
Fry till it is golden brown. The poppy seeds side of the Anarsa will have a sort of a mesh on it once it is fried.
Carefully remove the it, drain as much ghee as possible by holding it in a vertical position on the edge of the wok. Place on an absorbent paper.
Cool completely. Store it in an airtight container.

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